Abstract
Multiple cellular, biochemical, and physical factors converge to coordinate organogenesis. During embryonic development, several organs such as the lung, salivary glands, mammary glands, and kidneys undergo rapid, but intricate, iterative branching. This biological process not only determines the overall architecture, size and shape of such organs but is also a pre-requisite for optimal organ function. The lung, in particular, relies on a vast surface area to carry out efficient gas exchange, and it is logical to suggest that airway branching during lung development represents a rate-limiting step in this context. Against this background, the vascular network develops in parallel to the airway tree and reciprocal interaction between these two compartments is critical for their patterning, branching, and co-alignment. In this mini review, we present an overview of the branching process in the developing mouse lung and discuss whether the vasculature plays a leading role in the process of airway epithelial branching.
Highlights
Cellular rearrangement and pattern formation are integral parts of organogenesis
It was shown that the distal lung mesenchyme is characterized by the expression of fibroblast growth factor 10 (Fgf10) (Bellusci et al, 1997) and that Fgf10-knockout embryos suffer from lung agenesis as well as other morphogenic and organogenic abnormalities (Min et al, 1998; Sekine et al, 1999; Suzuki et al, 2000; Sakaue et al, 2002; Jaskoll et al, 2005)
Tissue interactions represent a hallmark feature of lung organogenesis, and various cellular, molecular, biochemical, and physical mechanisms have been implicated in this developmental process
Summary
Biochemical, and physical factors converge to coordinate organogenesis. Several organs such as the lung, salivary glands, mammary glands, and kidneys undergo rapid, but intricate, iterative branching. This biological process determines the overall architecture, size and shape of such organs but is a pre-requisite for optimal organ function. The lung, in particular, relies on a vast surface area to carry out efficient gas exchange, and it is logical to suggest that airway branching during lung development represents a rate-limiting step in this context Against this background, the vascular network develops in parallel to the airway tree and reciprocal interaction between these two compartments is critical for their patterning, branching, and co-alignment.
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